The Kitchen Counter: May 2012

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Key Lime Pie

Key Lime Pie, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

Key Lime Pie Recipe
www.joyofbaking.com/KeyLimePie.html

Graham Cracker Crust:
1 1/4 cup (125 grams) graham cracker crumbs (can use crushed digestive biscuits)
2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar
5 - 6 tablespoons (70 - 85 grams) unsalted butter, melted
Filling:
3 large egg yolks, room temperature
One 14 - ounce (390 grams) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup (120 ml) key lime juice (can use regular limes)
2 teaspoons grated lime zest (outer skin)
Topping:
1 cup (240 ml) cold heavy whipping cream (double cream) (35-40% butterfat content)
2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar

Key Lime Pie: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place the oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter or lightly spray with a non stick vegetable spray, a 9 inch (23 cm) pie or tart pan.

Graham Cracker Crust: Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake for about 10 minutes or until set and lightly browned. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool while you make the filling

Filling: In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks until pale and fluffy (2-3 minutes). Gradually add the condensed milk and beat until light and fluffy (3-5 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then beat in the lime juice and zest.

Pour the filling over the crust and bake for about 10 - 15 minutes, or until the filling is set. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once it has completely cooled, cover and refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

Once the filling has chilled, in the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment (or with a hand mixer), beat the whipping cream and sugar until stiff peaks form. Either pipe (I used a Wilton 1M star tip) or place mounds of whipping cream on top of the filling. Can be stored in the refrigerator for a few days.
Makes 1 - 9 inch (23 cm) pie or tart.

Cherry Cream Pie

Cherry Cream Pie, originally uploaded by queenofthemoodswingset2.

I bought a ton of canned sour cherries and decided to make this pie for my mom for mother's day. I made the cherry pie filling the night before and it was a little runny the next day. I'll try adding 1tbsp of corn starch next time to thicken it up.

Cherry Cream Pie

Brown crust at 350 for 10 minutes

Boiled mixture do this first to let it cool!

½ cup water
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp corn starch
Mix and bring to a boil, until it gets clear
Let cool on the counter

Meringue:

3 egg whites, beat until stiff with beater
When stiff add
¼ cup sugar, beat until stiff again
Add boiled mixture and beat until stiff again

Pudding
3 egg yolks
⅓ to ½ cup sugar
4 rounded tbsp cornstarch
3 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla (or 1 bean)

Beat 3 egg yolks, add 1/3 – ½ cup sugar. Dissolve 4 rounded Tbsp of cornstarch in 3 cups milk. If using vanilla bean, scrape seeds into the milk mixture and let the bean pod cook in the mixture. Remove pod when finished. Cook over high heat until it thickens, stirring constantly. (if not using a bean add 1 tsp vanilla after you take it off the heat)

Pour pudding into the browned crust, top with cherry pie filling, pour meringue on top (leaving the middle open so you can see the cherries) and brown the meringue in the oven at 350 until the meringue looks done.

Cherry Filling (you can use 1 can of canned pie filling, but it’s not as good)

2 can sour cherries
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 cup sugar

Drain the juice off the cherries (reserve juice). Add cornstarch to the some of the juice to dissolve it. Cook juice, sugar and corn starch until it thickens. Add cherries after the juice thickens.